Benevolent Forces

It's only appropriate that for the landmark twentieth episode of BF we have our therapist on to explain why he doesn't wear shoes and convince us of our podcast's charm. In our longest (and coincidentally palindromic) ep to date we discuss Meryl Streep's nerves, luxury on a budget, bulk billing, the pain theory of happiness, podcasting as opprobrium, emotional honesty, how to manage the bears, careers, creativity and the importance of avoiding irony.

Victimised by the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else, the BF hosts question the validity of John Wick, dental assistants and the Holy Trinity of eyelash curlers.

Having returned from Japan, Lucy and Ben give Gigi a rundown of their purchases. They are sort of joined by their new unofficial fact-checker, Gigi's bf (BF).

It's Benevolent Forces o'clock, do you know where your adult children are? They're reading books on their iPhones, attending their tattoo removal sessions, getting high off going to the supermarket, soothing the ulcers in their mouths, cooking while following recipes, annoying their boyfriends while not following maps, paying for insurance, ordering the kid's spaghetti bolognese and calling their moms. At least that's what Lucy, Gigi and Ben are doing.

Welcome to our Sweet Sixteenth. In celebration of IWD we discuss skincare and our favourite horny teen novelist Meg Cabot. 

Ben returns to the fore with a renewed sense of purpose and (probationary) creative control. Lucy espouses the virtues of self-imposed obligation, Gigi explains why she spent 20 dollars to back up her text messages, and a sordid Christmas story set at Maggie Beer’s private manor is told for the first time on record.

Back by debatable demand, Lucy White and Gigi Perry sit down with BF certified Perfect Woman and New Jersey's fondest memory, Stephanie. In a conversation that will remind you what girls sound like (in case you had forgotten) the three detail their short but very ~exclusive time spent perusing 'The Corporate Store' and reach hysterics telling online shopping ghost stories. 

This week on Benevolent Forces (spoiler alert/trigger warning) Lucy spends a total of $50, Gigi spends the same amount on a steak (worth it) and Ben's purchases remain a mystery as the women he is so fondly flanked by get into the nitty (perhaps even the gritty) of how they categorise their transactions / the number of bank accounts they each have. 

Recorded directly under a busy flight path in the Inn*r W*st, this episode carries on last week's tirade against indulgent filmmaking (Lucy reads a long Letterboxd review). Ben is taken advantage of by a mechanic, and Gigi embraces her OCD (Obsessive Clothing Delineation). 

This week Lucy, Gigi and Ben promote a 'less is more' approach. Less beer (drinking middies is in), less comprehensive advice (the extent of Lucy's saving strategy is 'bring lunch to work') and less time watching rich scumbags on holiday (Ruben Östlund's newest film is giving genre burnout).

With Benevolent Forces no longer in its infancy (officially boasting an archive of crudely amateurish episodes to listen back on), Lucy, Gigi and Ben bravely venture past their arbitrarily imposed 40 minute timer for the first time in history. The trio discuss the importance of 'connective tissue' in life/art, the fallacy of 'the third option' and share a single Depop haggling tip. Sincerely, this is a good episode and if you stick with it, it will be rewarding xo

Starting 2023 with renewed fervour, expressed only through even more vocal monotony than usual, Lucy, Gigi and Ben talk New Year's resolutions,  Xmas lunch disillusions and low-rise condoms. Enjoy xoxo

End-of-year fatigue (or in Gigi's case depression) notwithstanding, all three BF members reunite after a long month apart for a vibe check. The consensus is that Wednesday actually sucked, Bones And All rules, and Avatar 2 was unexpectedly not that bad. In keeping with the podcast's theme (rare) Ben opens Gigi's belated birthday gift. 

Separated by multiple oceans (probably?) Lucy and Gigi traverse the feminine freedom afforded to them in Ben's absence (they talk about silk underwear for whole minutes). A molto bene-volent episode. 

While Lucy is on a plane returning to the motherland, Gigi and Ben denounce

The third musketeer rejoins Lucy and Gigi for a hungover discussion of their favourite Sydney socialite pattipinkcake, death, Ben's birthday, and their purchases for the week (except Gigi who is locked out of her banking app). 

Lucy and Gigi are joined by compatriot and first official guest, Sarah Baya from rival podcast, The Second Estate. The girlies discuss gift giving, spending philosophies and refuse to shut the fuck up about AirPod Maxs. 

Follow Sarah's contribution to the culture @thesecondestatepodcast

On the path towards mutual destruction, Lucy, Gigi and Benjamin discuss the trials and tribulations of getting a haircut in Sydney and their stupidest purchases of the week.

Consistent as ever (two episodes in), Lucy and Gigi buy glasses they can’t afford, similar to how they can’t afford to be sued for copyright infringement (no intro/outro music this week). 

A year later, Lucy and Gigi break their silence and release a podcast episode.  

Follow Ben @slimes_new_roman 

Find us @benevolentforces

Intro/outro - ‘Do My Thing’ by Erika de Casier 

Cover art by @tooms.xyz